It Won't Be Long
by astridfire
Summary: Sirius turns up on James's doorstep in the middle of the night, cold and soaking wet. What's a boy to do but take care of his idiot best friend?


Sirius arrived at the Potter house soaking wet, and well after midnight. James would have made fun of him for arriving ever so dramatically in the rain at night, but for the look on Sirius's face. He was pale, and his eyes were dark and shadowed. He had his arms crossed over his chest like that was all that was holding him together, and was shivering. His teeth were chattering, and his body was shuddering with ridiculous violent tremors.

Pippy, the Potter's house elf, had awoken James from a dead sleep. She had said there was a dark figure on the doorstep asking for him. Pippy was half blind, so most figures were dark and mysterious, and James wasn't concerned. There were enough protection spells around the house that no one with ill intent could get close, let alone to the door. So he'd left his wand on his nightstand when he went down to answer the door, and thus couldn't fire fifteen drying and warming charms at Sirius like he dearly wanted to.

"Merlin's pants, Padfoot. What happened?"

"C-can I come in?" Sirius managed through his chattering teeth. James waved him through, irritated that he hadn't barged in once James got the door opened, as was proper.

Sirius stopped inside the door, and started to drip on the rug.

"Pippy, could you fetch a towel for this mongrel?" said James. He was glad when Pippy was gone and back in less than a second, handing Sirius a fluffy white towel, warmed with house elf magic. Sirius gave a grateful moan, steam all but rising from under his fingers. He wrapped the whole thing around his head and shoulders, clutching it closed with his fists. He looked pathetic, his face only just visible under the towel, and unable to quite meet James's eye.

"It smells of wet dog," said James.

"It doesn't," said Sirius. He shuffled his feet on the rug, and James could hear his toes squelching in his shoes.

When it seemed nothing else was forthcoming, James said, "Padfoot, it's late. Not that I'm not glad to see you, but this is a bit unusual."

Sirius's shoulders hunched further, and he ducked his face to rub his nose on the towel's edge.

"I had a fight with my… with Orion and Walburga."

What else was new? James thought. Sirius fought with his family all the time. With Regulus, with his mother, with his father. Sirius claimed to not be bothered by all the animosity — claimed that it was his duty to give his blood-obsessed family grief over their prejudices, but James knew it wore on him. He would be fired up with righteous rage over a family spat for a few hours, but then would sink into a dark, brooding mood that was difficult to lift him from.

"I left, and then I walked through London for awhile before I remembered the Knight Bus—"

"But by then you were soaked through, and it was after midnight," James assumed.

Sirius must have been walking for some time to have already reached the dark broody stage. He must have been walking around London in the rain for _hours_. James scowled at the thought.

"Mum and Dad are asleep," James said. "But your room is made up, of course. Go on up, and have a shower. Have you brought any clothes?" When Sirius shook his head James said, "You can borrow some of mine. Might be a bit short in the ankle, but they won't be wet."

Sirius only nodded, and followed silently when James headed up the great staircase. James's room and the guest room where Sirius slept during his summer visits were at the opposite end of the house from his parent's rooms, thank Merlin. They wouldn't be awoken by any noise the two of them made. James ushered Sirius into the guest room, and then diverted into his own bedroom to pull pajamas and warm socks from his dresser. He tossed them onto the bed in Sirius's room, glad to hear the shower running.

Sirius was in the shower long enough for James to ask Pippy to bring up some sandwiches and tea, and for Pippy to deliver the food, and set the tray up on the bed. James lounged against the pillows and picked at the bowl of crisps, not really hungry.

This fight seemed different from those in the past. Sirius nearly always came to stay during the summer, but James and his parents had always gone to pick him up in London before. He'd never showed up in the middle of the night like this. The fight must have been a bad one.

The shower stopped running, and Sirius wandered out of the bathroom with his hair in disarray, and a towel wrapped around his waist. James threw the pajamas and socks at him, and ordered him to, "Get dressed, you exhibitionist." Sirius gave him a shadow of his usual smirk, and obeyed.

He returned clad in red flannel bottoms patterned with little broomsticks all over, and a Gryffindor t-shirt with a gold lion on the front. The blue socks looked ridiculous, but they were the warmest ones James owned.

Sirius climbed onto the bed, and sat cross legged on the other side of the tray. He picked up a slice of sandwich, and bit into it.

"Well," said James. "Are you going to tell me?"

Sirius chewed and swallowed. Deliberately drawing it out, James thought.

"They kicked me out," he said, finally. He took another bite from the sandwich, chewing slowly, and looked like it was hard to get down. He set the sandwich aside, and stared very hard at the pattern on the duvet.

"Like… for the summer?" James asked.

Sirius shook his head. "Like, for ever. 'Never darken this door again, you foul little—'"

"Okay, okay."

They were silent. That was quite a bit worse than James had been expecting. They'd fought before, and explosively, if Sirius's recounting of the arguments weren't exaggerated, though James had met Sirius's mother, and he had of course seen Sirius fight with Regulus at school, so he doubted the fights needed any exaggeration.

"Mother blasted me off the family tree," Sirius said. "Just — burned me off."

"That's rotten."

"I don't know what I'll do."

James thought this was ridiculous, and said so. "Don't be stupid, Padfoot. Do you want any more of this food?" When Sirius shook his head, he levitated the tray over to the small table by the window.

James lay down on the bed, and with a wave of his hand the lamps dimmed.

"Go to sleep, Sirius. We'll fix it in the morning."

"I don't want to _fix it_ —" he said, harshly.

"I don't mean that. I mean, we'll tell my parents you'll be staying here for the rest of the summer. They won't mind."

Sirius's shoulders sagged, the flash of anger gone in an instant. He climbed up the bed until he was lying beside James. He wrapped himself around one over-stuffed pillow, and let out a sigh as he sunk into the lush bedding.

"Thanks, Prongs."

"Like we'd put you out on the street," James said. "Though I suppose you could live quite happily as Padfoot for the summer. Get yourself adopted by some lovely Muggle family with a load of sticky, over-eager children — you'd be in heaven."

Sirius snorted, and cracked a smile. James felt a rush of accomplishment, and smiled back. Warmth slid into his stomach and tingled in his toes. It felt so good to make Sirius laugh.

"You'd have to watch out for the Muggle dog-catcher though—"

"Shut up, Prongs, or I'll take you wandering around the countryside during deer hunting season."

James gasped in feigned affront, and put a hand to his chest. "Felled by a Muggle hunter? Could you be so cruel to me, Pads?"

Sirius closed his eyes, and shrugged. "I suppose we could find something better. Something more ridiculous and embarrassing."

"Thanks ever so, friend," said James.

Sirius smiled a bit, eyes still shut, and James watched him from under his eyelashes until his breathing evened out, and he seemed to fall asleep.

James was glad Sirius was able to sleep at all. Sometimes after a fight Sirius would lie awake in bed for hours, tossing and turning. It kept James up, too. He would lie there, annoyed that he was a bed away in Gryffindor Tower, and unable to do anything to help calm Sirius down. He was glad to be so close now. Close enough to offer help if needed.

Still, the fool hadn't crawled under the blankets, and James couldn't let that stand. Not after seeing him shivering and dripping rain water earlier. James flicked his wand, and the blanket from the foot of the bed rose in the air and settled over Sirius. He didn't even stir, just gave a little snore, and James smiled stupidly to himself. He crawled under the covers himself, and fell asleep.

:: :: :: ::

James woke in the middle of the night, and for a moment he wasn't sure where he was or what was happening. Then he remembered Sirius had arrived after a fight with his family, and was upset. A noise startled him, but an instant later he realized Sirius was the source of the noise, and he turned over on the bed. Sirius was curled up on the other side of the bed with his back to James. He was shaking, and sucking in wet sounding breaths. He was trying to muffle the sound in his pillow, but it wasn't really working. James shifted across the bed, and curled his arm around Sirius's waist. He planted his palm right in the middle of his chest, and held him there.

Sirius startled, as he must not have realized James had woken up, but didn't say anything. He was stiff in James's arms for a moment, but then his shoulders sagged, and he pressed back into James.

James dropped his chin onto Sirius's shoulder, and waited.

"I'm not even… it's not like I'll even miss them," Sirius said, voice rough. He took breaths that shook his frame. "I just… why weren't they… why wasn't I…" He sniffed, and James held him closer. "I don't… why?"

He never finished a thought. James murmured nonsense into the hair at the back of his neck, and held him close. Sirius grabbed James's arm and held it to him, like James was holding him together.

"Why'd I get stuck with them, James?"

James shut his eyes, heartsore himself, and resisted the very strong urge to press comforting kisses to the back of Sirius's neck, because Sirius might not find that comforting.

"You're not stuck with them anymore. You're with me. You know my parents will love to have you stay. They'll let you stay forever. You're like the son they never had." Sirius was quiet, but his grip on James's arm tightened. "I promise, Padfoot. Everything is going to be fine."

"What will happen?"

"You'll stay the summer. We'll have a smashing good time. Maybe invite Remus and Peter to stay for a bit, too. Then we'll go back to Hogwarts in September. Do our NEWTs. Then we'll like, fight the forces of evil or some shit. Become Aurors, maybe."

"That sounds good."

"It was my idea," said James. "Of course it sounds good."

Sirius snorted, and rolled over under James's arm. He had his eyes squeezed shut, like he couldn't quite work up the courage to look at James while he asked for affection. He wrapped his arm around James, grip fierce. His other tugged on the front of James's shirt. James just placed his palm in the middle of Sirius's back, and shut his eyes too. He was glad Sirius was asking for affection, because James was desperate to give it to him.

Their foreheads fell together. Sirius's hand tightened to a fist in James's shirt. They breathed the same air, and though Sirius didn't seem to be on the verge of crying anymore, he hadn't calmed down either. James was doing his best work here too, stroking his palm over the arch of Sirius's back, shoulder blade to shoulder blade.

Sirius shifted down the bed, until his head was tucked under James's chin, breathing hot into his chest, with his arm wrapped around James's back holding him tight. James moved his hand from Sirius's back to his hair, and carded his fingers through it. Sirius made a noise, and wiggled closer, until he sighed deeply, calming down at last.

It would figure Padfoot needed petting. James smiled to himself, enjoying the feel of Sirius's hair under his fingers. It was so silky — smooth, falling neatly around Sirius's head, and nearly to his shoulders So much nicer than James's untidy mop of hair.

Sirius began to stroke his hand up and down James's back. He had hiked up the edge of James's shirt with his earlier grip, and on the next pass of his hand he touched skin. James shivered involuntarily, and his fingers tugged a bit on Sirius's hair. Sirius made a little noise, and then his whole hand slid up inside James's shirt, and began stroking the skin at the small of James's back.

Who knew there was so much sensation to be found in that spot? James certainly hadn't. But the feeling spread through him, down to his toes, and up his neck, like static electricity raising the hair on his body, making him super aware of every touch of Sirius's hand and fingers. His cock was taking special notice. Because this felt nice. Having Sirius touch him. Touching Sirius. It was nice. Really nice.

It was lucky that they weren't touching anywhere below the chest in front, because if they were Sirius would have felt James's prick grow hard, and start poking him in the stomach.

James tried to ignore it. He was offering comfort here. He was being a good friend. He was not trying to get off with his best friend. That would be weird and rude — Sirius had just been _crying_. Besides, he wouldn't even know how to go about seducing anyone. It wasn't like James had any experience in that area.

Everyone at Hogwarts knew about his Evans thing, and the other girls seemed to think that meant Evans had dibs or something — no other girl would dare make a go of seducing James Potter. And of course, Evans wasn't going to waste her time on him. She was smart. It was one of the things James liked so much about her.

For all James kept on trying with Evans, it was pretty much just habit by now. He'd been asking her out for years. He didn't know what he'd do if she ever said yes to one of his invitations. Probably stand there, and blink stupidly at her until she changed her mind. Probably wonder if someone had got ahold of some Polyjuice Potion, and was playing a prank on him. Evans wasn't ever going to say yes. He knew that.

Sometimes he thought that was the very reason he kept asking her. So if any other girl asked him out he could say, "Alas, my heart belongs to another," while he posed with his hand over his heart, looking dramatic and mournful. They would think he meant Evans, and not someone more, you know, _male_ and best friend shaped.

Probably it was time he did something about that. But it wasn't like he'd planned on this happening. It has snuck up on him. His favorite thing had always been making Sirius laugh, and that turned into liking the way he looked when he laughed, and just how he looked when he was happy, and then just wanting him to be happy. And then just liking the way he looked, period. But it wasn't like James was desperate for a change in circumstance. He _loved_ being best friends with Sirius. It was amazing. Always in each other's pockets, never far from each other's reach? It was great. Sirius always welcomed James and James always welcomed Sirius, and if there was a lack of kissing and sexy touching, well… James had a hand, drapes around his bed, and a vivid imagination. He was doing okay.

Besides, it wasn't like he was ever jealous, or even worried about Sirius finding someone else. For all Sirius was constantly being asked out to Hogsmeade or to the Astronomy Tower by the female population of Hogwarts, he'd rarely agreed to go. There had been Marlene McKinnon last year, and even James could not fault him that — Marlene was the prettiest girl in their year — Evans not withstanding. Marlene was also rumored to be a bit easy. James still recalled the shocked look on Sirius's face when he'd returned from their assignation on top of the Astronomy Tower. He'd blushed when they teased him, and refused to tell tales. But that night, after the others had gone to sleep he'd transformed into Padfoot, climbed into James's bed, and cuddled into him just like this. James had been mostly asleep himself, and hadn't even questioned Sirius's presence. He had sunk his fingers into his fur, and stroked the silky edges of his ears, and fallen asleep.

This now, was a bit different. It wasn't a dog shaped Sirius in James's arms, tucked into the curve of his body, but a person shaped Sirius, and that was a great deal more appealing.

Sirius began to shake. At first, James didn't know what was wrong. He combed his fingers through Sirius's hair, and then Sirius sucked in a shivery, wet sounding breath, and James knew. Sirius was crying.

Sirius was crying, and James had an _erection_. Merlin, he was the worst.

Sirius let out a sob, clutching at James, his shirt in front and digging his fingers into the small of James's back. James felt the front of his shirt growing damp. He held Sirius as tightly as he could, an arm curled under his head and the other around his shoulders, fingers threaded in his hair.

He didn't cry hard for long — it couldn't have been longer than a minute — but he stayed locked in James's embrace for a long while after, hiding his face and sniffling. James had dropped his face into Sirius's hair, pressing his mouth there. It was the closest he could get to a kiss, and he wanted to offer any comfort he could.

"Sorry," said Sirius, roughly. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine, Padfoot," he said. He scratched lightly at the hair on the back of Sirius's neck.

"I told them I was gay," said Sirius.

"What?"

"I told them I was gay. That's why they threw me out."

Wait. What?

"Why—"

"Mothe— Walburga was going on at dinner about continuing the Black line, and I told her that wouldn't be happening because I was gay. I wouldn't be marrying any Pureblood witch, or giving her any Pureblood grandbabies, and she could go fuck herself—"

"You didn't say that."

"No, I didn't say she could go fuck herself, but it was implied."

James smiled, and though Sirius couldn't even see his face from this angle, he hid the smile in Sirius's hair.

"I told them I was gayer than a maypole at Beltane, and Orion's face just kept getting redder and redder, and Mother started shrieking. And Regulus, he just sat there, staring at me like I was the worst brother he could ever have gotten saddled with — and I just kept going, telling them exactly how gay I was, and all the filthy things I want to do with boys, and they just _lost_ it… It was quite fantastic, really."

James couldn't help it. He kissed Sirius's head. The bravado was coming back, and deserved a reward.

Sirius's fingers spasmed on James's skin, and he went on. "Father marched me to the door, and Mother was still screaming, and hexing me off the family tree… He told me to leave, and to never come back." He sucked in a shaky breath. "And I said, you can't kick me out, because I'm leaving. You're hateful and awful, and I deserved better than you." His voice broke on the last, and it seemed for a moment that he would start to cry again. But he gathered himself back together, and kept talking. "I told them to go straight to hell, and I slammed the door behind me."

"Beautiful," said James.

Sirius huffed a breath that was half laugh, half sob. He wiped his eyes and face with the edge of his hand, and sniffed. James felt breathtakingly fond of him — snot, tears, and all.

"So that was my coming out," said Sirius. "What do you have to say about that, Prongs?"

Sirius was testing him. Maybe half-dreading that James would have a similar reaction to his parents. But that wasn't bloody likely.

Not when he felt this _elated_.

James stroked his hand over Sirius's head, and tugged on the ends of his hair, urging him to tip his head back so James could see his face. Sirius was reluctant, but James tugged more insistently. "Come on, Padfoot. Look at me."

Sirius untucked his head from under James's chin, and met his eyes. He looked miserable, face wet, eyes red, dreading what might come next. James pushed his hair back from his face, and ducked his chin. He pressed his lips to Sirius's, once, but definitively — an _I'm kissing you, so there_ , sort of kiss.

James pulled back, and cocked an eyebrow. "What do you have to say to that?" he asked.

Sirius gaped at him, stunned.

"What did you just do?" Sirius asked, nearly a whisper. His face went from shocked to outraged, and James's stomach dropped. Sirius punched him, but not hard enough to hurt, in the shoulder.

"You fucker," said Sirius. "I come out, I do the whole messy thing. Angst and drama and worry, and then you just skip that whole part! The whole bloody awful thing, and then you have to trump me by kissing me _first?_ You arsehole." Sirius grinned, and shook his head, like he couldn't believe James's gall. "I was going to do that."

A smile bloomed across James's face, and he laughed.

Sirius grabbed the back of James's head, and dragged him back into a kiss. A much deeper, longer kiss. James felt it down to his toes, a wave of sensation that seemed to wake up every single nerve ending and set them all on fire.

"You're an arse," Sirius said, against his lips.

"I think I'm bi, actually," said James.

"Yeah, it figures, you greedy asshole."

James grinned, and kissed him again. He pulled away, and they stared at each other for a moment, idiotic smiles on both their faces.

"You kissed me," said Sirius, sounding awed. "You kissed me back."

"Gonna do a whole lot more than that," James promised.

Sirius pressed their foreheads together and chuckled. He sounded tired, but he was gamely threading his fingers through James's hair.

As much as James wanted to jump right in, to do filthy things to Sirius immediately, as soon as possible, right the fuck now, thank you — Sirius had had a truly awful night. He needed sleep more than he needed James making a meal of him.

"Go to sleep, Pads," said James. He took Sirius's hand and kissed his knuckles like he was a girl, and this was a courtly gesture rather than an excuse for James to get his mouth on Sirius's skin. Sirius seemed to like it anyway. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards, and he flushed. "I'll be here in the morning."

Sirius looked at him, studying his face for a moment, and nodded. He leaned in slow, as though unsure of his welcome. James smiled, and kissed him again, easy and sweet.

"Goodnight, Prongs."

Sirius settled back onto his own pillow, and closed his eyes. James kept their hands linked, lying in the space between their pillows, and ran his thumb slowly back and forth over Sirius's knuckles.

"This is going to be the best summer ever," said James, and he pulled up their hands to kiss Sirius's fingers again.

Sirius grinned, eyes closed, and in moments he was asleep. He was exhausted from the night's events, but he looked lighter, and happier now. James felt a warm rush of accomplishment. He would make sure Sirius had the best summer, that he felt good, happy, and whole. James would fix all the hurts the Blacks had heaped on him. He would take care of his best friend — his whatever you called a best friend that you kissed. They could work that out tomorrow as well.

James watched him for a moment, and couldn't believe the sharp turn his life had just taken. But everything about this felt right.

"Best summer ever," he repeated.

And it was.


End file.
